In the midst of conflicts raging across the globe, 40 people from various parts of the world gathered at the European University Institute (EUI) to study how law can be a force for peacemaking. The ‘studying’ looked remarkable: during the two-week Summer School, one could see participants make passionate speeches, whisper in corridors, negotiate in courtyards, collectively hang over a text and debate words, fall onto their knees, cry and laugh.
Barney Afako, former member of the United Nations Mediation Standby Team and co-convener of the course, explains what is happening: "We’re simulating the real negotiations that took place between the Ugandan government and the Lord’s Resistance Army—giving participants the chance to role-play mediators, stakeholders, and negotiators. It’s a powerful way to teach how human rights and legal principles shape peace processes." Co-convenor EUI Law Professor Sarah Nouwen adds: "Everyone knows studying as familiarising oneself with theoretical propositions, for instance, 'peace', 'justice', 'negotiations'. But learning is so much more impactful if one first experiences these concepts. It fosters deeper understanding."
Several moments during the course illustrated the power of this experiential teaching method. For instance, participants had been struggling for three days with the seemingly impossible task of getting peace talks going with more than 15 stakeholder groups in the room when they watched a documentary that showed how, in Colombia, after four years of eventually successful peace negotiations, the agreement was voted down in a plebiscite by a very narrow majority. Participants were shocked, remarking: "We are exhausted after three days, let alone negotiating for four years, and then this!"
One of the unique aspects of the course was that some of the world’s most experienced peace negotiators facilitated the reflection sessions. Thus, the day after the screening of the documentary on the Colombian peace talks, Colombian peace negotiator Sergio Jaramillo Caro joined the session and helped the participants in drawing up the agenda for their own peace talks. In the subsequent week, the first woman negotiator to have concluded a peace agreement with an armed opposition movement, Miriam Coronel-Ferrer from the Philippines, advised the participants on how to protect their peace agreement against legal challenges. Christina Murray, who had been involved in drafting South Africa’s post-apartheid constitution, facilitated discussions on whether the participants’ draft power-sharing arrangement required constitutional change.
EUI researcher Bénédicte Meille observed: "This summer school has been one of the most interesting academic experiences I have had—practical, diverse, and intellectually stimulating. Learning from real negotiators and engaging in hands-on simulations with peers from around the world has been both humbling and transformative."
Another remarkable aspect of the course was the diverse geographical background of its participants. Making most of the Erasmus+ and Widening Programmes, the Summer School was enriched by participants from countries as diverse as Jamaica, Malawi, South Korea, Georgia, the US, Uganda, the Philippines and several European states.
Participant Patience Ayesigye, Erasmus + grant holder, notes: "As a Ugandan, learning about the Lord's Resistance Army at an international summer school feels deeply personal—yet I’m gaining entirely new perspectives every day. It’s my first time out of the country, and this experience has been truly enriching, both academically and personally." Her colleague, Rejinel Valencia, a participant from Philippine, adds: "I see how the law can both protect and limit human rights. This programme has been a crucial opportunity to explore peace processes through a human rights lens, especially as we revise our legal remedies back home. Sometimes, we must go beyond the law to ensure rights are truly upheld."
Jamaican Judge Tracey Robinson concludes: "This course has been very eye-opening for me [...] It’s the first time I truly understood the human rights breaches involved in conflicts like the one between the Lord’s Resistance Army and the Ugandan government. It has changed the way I see justice—and how I will render it in my courtroom going forward."
The Summer Course on Human Rights took place on 16-27 June 2025 at the European University Institute (EUI), as part of the Academy of European Law's Summer Courses. This year's course engaged with the following question: 'Peace negotiations: What’s Law Got to Do with It?'.